• Published 23rd Sep 2013
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Celestial Gift - Wolfsalvo



An ODST that was on the Forward Unto Dawn during its destruction is sucked through a wormhole with plenty of other debris. Follow his tale as he crash lands in Equestria.

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Excruciating Night

Chapter 4: Excruciating Night

(Steel's P.O.V.)

While I was walking as quietly as I could through the castle halls, I would occasionally hear a sweet sounding lullaby coming from somewhere within the halls. While I didn't know much about the singing of this world, just how some of the UNSC planets would deviate towards a certain genre of music, I still wanted to find who, or what, was singing such a tune. I quickened my pace so that I could find whoever it was that was singing already, but that made some of the various parts of my armor clink against each other. Damn, I will need to proceed slowly if I don't want to wake too many people… er… ponies up.

Coming through a large pair of double doors, I entered a large room that I could only assume was the throne room, with the tell-tale large throne. I will need to memorize all routes to and from this room; I might need to come back here someday… or maybe tomorrow when Celestia is awake.

Following my ears and walking towards an open door I saw near the back of the huge room, I was starting to feel a little excited to find out who was singing. It wasn't every night or day that you found someone with such a lovely voice.

After walking through the door, I saw the forest in the distance, and that was when I heard the singing lullaby grow stronger, but it also seemed quieter as well. Ignoring the fact that I might make noise now, I made my way towards the singing at a moderate jogging pace, all the while keeping a look out so that I wouldn't scare anyone. I am a running shadow… I'm not sure of how skittish these ponies are, but let's assume they scare as easily as a grunt near a dead elite…

Pushing past bushes, moving around trees, and nearly falling over a few tree roots later, I was ready to put my helmet on, but didn't; in fear that I wouldn't be able to gage to singing distance as well. But as I rounded a tree, I entered a small clearing that was empty, but the singing sounded the strongest here. I didn't bother paying attention to the Lyrics, as they were being melded together in such a fashion that I lost all understanding of the individual words.

Looking over as it seemed the shadows parted from one of the nearby trees, I couldn't help but feel my eyes widen as a grin wound its way onto my lips. Well I'll be damned, that was a chilling entrance, but knowing who is singing is well worth that small bit of fright. So I got the overly kind and caring Celestia, and also the wonderfully talented singer… er… what was her name again?

I chuckled as I realized I never had caught this pony's name, but I decided I could wait until her song was over. It may be a while… I can probably take a seat while I wait.

Doing just that, I managed to get comfortable without making a sound, and I leaned back as I closed my eyes, and enjoyed the song that she was singing.

(Princess Luna's P.O.V.)

Moving towards the center of the clearing, I continued to let my voice slide out and through the tree's harmonizing each word I sang well enough that not even I could tell the individual words. I knew the meaning of the song by heart, but when I had been banished to the moon, I had only a few things I had to entertain myself. After the second century, I had started to try and sing, but I made it into my own version; having changed the wording and pitches of the vocals.

Swaying my body to the side as I continued to sing, the song was mainly humming and singing without words now, but I let my mind soar with my voice. I wasn't sure how far my voice carried, but I didn't care, because nobody would be able to find me in these woods when I blended with any and all shadows.

Swaying the other way, I felt a breeze curl through my mane, before leaving a cooling feeling down my body. I shivered as the small breeze comforted me, as well as bringing the scent of wild berries to my nose, but I continued my song of the night. But it was then that I felt a strong urge to sing the real lyrics…

"Come little children,

I'll take thee a-way…

Into a land en-chant-ed…"

Moving my head and facing the moon high in the sky, I felt old memories slowly coming to me, and it caused a few tears to slide down my cheeks as I continued my song.

"Come little children,

The times come to play,

Here in my garden of shaaaa-Doooows…"

Finishing my song, I wiped the stray tears away from my cheeks as a smile crossed my face, and I looked back towards the ground. Placing my horn towards the ground, I used some of the over lasting effects of my song to bring life to flowers, but when I heard a voice behind me, the spell ended abruptly, and I let out a quiet shriek as I kicked out behind me. I felt a heavy impact, before I heard a dull thud, and I looked behind me, and saw the strange figure from before lying on the ground, dully clawing at his chest as I heard him wheezing… before all was silent.

What have I done!?

(Steel's P.O.V.)

As I heard the last of her song finishing up, I opened my eyes, and got up, and I swore, that was the best singing I had ever heard. I stretched my arms out a bit, before slowly making my way out of the shadows of the tree's, still hearing the small amount of lyrics I had heard ringing through my head. I felt light on my feet, but I also felt like I had been carried away somehow, or in another sense, taken to another place.

Stopping as she lowered her head to the ground, I saw her horn glowing a little bit, before flowers started to blossom from the ground. So… all those strange things that had been happening for no reason… it is caused by their horns? Mythology books did say unicorns were magical, but this is just, surreal…

Placing that thought aside for later to talk about with Celestia, I placed my hands behind my back as I tried to be as clear as can be, I made sure my amazement didn't show too thickly in my words, "I never did get your name, but that was- oof!"

Blackness took over my vision, and I felt a dull throbbing in my chest as my back made impact with something. I knew I was in pain, but I couldn't feel the pain as my fingers clawed at my chest, and it was then that I noticed the lack of oxygen, and as my muscles began to feel heavy, my mind started to move through a thick honey like substance. A feeling of dread began to take over, and before I lost all rational thought and feeling, I had one last thought before unconsciousness fully took over, Am I d-dead?

(Princess Luna's P.O.V.)

Flying as fast as my wings could carry me, I made sure that my magic was keeping the figure in front of me the best I could. I felt fear coursing through my veins, for I had committed the worst crime in all of Equestria; I had taken another's life! I don't want to go back to the moon, not again! M-Maybe if Celestia h-helps, he will l-live!

Clearing the forest edge, I rushed over the castle grounds, passing the gardens in a flash, before flying towards the still open throne room door. Before I made it to the door, I folded my wings, and the figure and I made it through the door without injury… well, myself at least. Rushing towards the center throne room doors, I came to a halt as soon as they opened, and in walked my sister, seeming sleepy; until she saw the black armor clad figure in my magic's grip. I set him down as worry began to cloud my mind, and it was when Celestia's voice spoke in a shaky tone that I felt even more worry and guilt than before, "What has h-happened to Steel?"

Lowering myself as I felt a tear slide down my cheek, I started to stammer out an explanation, "I he… we… I was in the forest and he came from nowhere and I didn't know it was him and I got scared and… and…" I felt an immense wave of guilt building, and I looked down at the ground as my eyes began to brim with tears, knowing the disappointed and worried gaze that was most likely on her face. "I killed him!"

I felt my body collapse as I shook violently, trying my best not to cry, but I was still feeling tears start to run down my face, and they were quickly gaining more frequency and speed. I knew I shouldn't have gone into the forest, I should have stayed in here, but now I'm going to be sent back to the moon and-

"W-Wait…" A course voice came from somewhere in front of me, and I looked up, and say the figures arm was raised, but the rest of his body was still on the ground.

He seemed to struggle to get up, but before Celestia or I could assist him, he seemed to stop struggling as his arm fell back to his side with a dull clacking sound. Oh n-no… now he's dead!

I flinched as his head turned, and he looked towards me with a pained expression, before he said, "I'm not d-dead… but you did knock the breath out of m-me…" Before he said anything else, he groaned loudly as he got into a sitting position, and he leaned forward, before saying more, "I-It is my f-fault… I shouldn't have s-scared you like that…"

When he said that, I got up a bit, and I saw the look that Celestia cast my way, but it looked more like a confused and questioning than angry expression. My gaze went back towards the strange being as he stood up, but before he was fully up, I saw him wobble around a bit, and then I heard him say, "I will see you all in the morning…"

I flinched once again as he fell forward, but instead of an impact, I heard a sigh from my sister, before she said, "I will discuss this with you tomorrow during our duty switch…" When Celestia walked out of the throne room with the figure in tow, I let out a quite sigh; before I let my body sink to the floor…


(Steel's P.O.V.)

Striking as it may seem, I opened my eyes, only to feel the burning pain in my chest, dead center of mass, and throbbing like it had a mind of its own. Bringing my hand up, I knew it was against regulations, but I needed to see just how much damage that black pony had done to me.

Unlatching my chest armor, I felt the plate pop away from my body, and I let out a sigh as the pain eased up a small amount. Sitting up as I clutched the chest plate, I heard a door open, and I saw a white horse in armor step out, leaving two others in the room. I raised an eyebrow as they store directly ahead, and neither one of them acknowledged me, but I was able to tell the difference between being ignored, and a soldier at attention. It seems that these are the guards… at least now I know how to differentiate from status of these ponies now. Celestia and that black pony are royalty, and they wear a mix of crown like Tiara's, and have that frontal necklace thing… what were those called again? Shaking my head as I couldn't find the right word in my internal dictionary, I went on to seeing how bad my condition was.

Getting to my feet wasn't the hard part, rather than maintaining my balance was where the problem lay; for instead of being unsteady, I received a massive headache instead. Pressing my hips against the table as I gently set down the metal chest plate, I was tempted to take off the rest of my upper body armor so that I could perform some maintenance, but I shook that thought off. They might now seem hostile, but I want to be prepared in case their disposition takes a turn for the worse. For now, I will maintain vigilance and keep the rest of my armor on, and should it seem things start going south, and then I will put that plate on again.

Grabbing the metal backpack from my back, I quickly set it down on the table in front of me, and I placed my M6C on the table as well. While that ship and everything on it may have been experimental, at least they didn't change anything with our standard equipment. Next came my standard equip combat knife, and this was the first reaction I got out of the guards, but I wasn't sure if they were hostile, or surprised. Looking down at the blade, I looked over it, and I didn't see anything wrong with it; it was only the basic seven to eight inches of blade. If they are worried about this small thing, they should see what those Elites would use.

It was when I began to set the knife down did the door open once more, and the first person to step in was the black pony, and next came Celestia. The last pony to come in was another guard, and he took his place near a wall deeper in the room. Turning my attention back towards the royalty in the room, I released the grip on my knife, before placing both hands on table top and leaning over it as Princess Celestia looked towards the smaller black pony, and said firmly, "Now Luna, what do you have to say?"

Ahh… so that is her name… Celestia and Luna, their parents must've had a thing for the Celestial expanse… heh.

Luna didn't say anything at first, and she looked towards the ground and to the side a bit, shuffling her feet a bit. When she looked up and at me, I saw that she must've undergone a thorough lecture, before she spoke, "I am sorry for injuring you the way I had."

I just returned her gaze with a blank one of my own, before I lowered my gaze with a chuckle to accompany it. It may seem weird that I was chuckling at an apology, but I looked back up and said, "I already told you, it was more my fault than your own; I didn't make any noise when I approached, so it's only natural that you got scared."

Luna seemed to shrink a little bit, before she brightened a little bit, and then she nodded her head as she looked back over towards Celestia, who nodded her head slightly. When they both looked towards me, Luna said, "Thank you Steel… I will be taking my leave now."

Nodding my head as I brought a hand up, I rubbed the center of my chest as it flared up after I took a particularly deep breath, and I looked over to Celestia as she said, "If you would join me Steel, I need to discuss a few matters with you."

Nodding my head, I grabbed the chest plate, and slammed it back into place; a very excruciating, but necessary procedure to get it back on correctly. I did however, wince, and I did consider using some medicine, yet the only reason I refrained from using it earlier, was I might need it for something more important later. Next came my blade, which I saw Celestia eye in surprise, but I quickly sheathed it this time, as I know understood that knife was a bad sight for them. Lastly, I threw the backpack on, and I was ready to go, but I would need to go back into the forest and retrieve my helmet before I tried to engage in combat of any kind.

"Steel, I will need to ask you to first give your weapons to my guards… if there is any danger; they are more than capable to deal with it." Celestia said, and I knew that I was going to need to make a decision, and one I didn't know if I was going to be too fond of. I could either refuse, which I could only expect that to sour our peaceful relations, or I could hand her guards my knife, as I'm sure they didn't know what a gun was. Lastly, I could give them both my knife and gun, but that would leave me with only hand to hand combat; something that I was only skilled at enough to be allowed to join the ODST's.

Grabbing my knife, I looked at it, and I placed it on the table; I'm sure that if it came to close quarters combat against these ponies, I wouldn't stand a chance even with a knife. Looking up and into Celestia's gaze, I saw her giving me a critical look over, before she nodded, and turned around. I'm sure they won't lose it… I will need to give her guards a leap of faith, and trust her judgment on this. If Commander Salvador was here, I'm sure he would have me demoted for this…

Popping my pistol out of its clip, I ejected the magazine, and pulled the action back, and saw no bullet resting in the chamber, so I knew it was fine now. Locking the action, it left the chamber exposed, before I placed both the handgun, and magazine, on the table as well. If push comes to shove, I have more than enough morphine to sedate a pack of brutes… not that I would ever get into that kind of situation.

Looking back up to find Celestia looked towards me, I couldn't quite tell what it was, but it reminded me of a proud, if not surprised and pleased expression. Making my way around the table, I started to walk with her towards the door, before she said, "Even though I didn't know that was a weapon, thanks for leaving it anyways…"

Author's Note:

Not sure if you can tell yet or not, but I try to keep chapters lengthily… I disapprove of those that write only 1k a chapter, but I can understand if it is the first or second story someone had written. I'm not too sure about trying this out, but almost every large story I write has a chapter over 7k words, so who knows, I might try to add one of those kind of chapters to this story. And later on, if my passion for writing this story hasn't dwindled enough, I might attempt a 10k chapter; which I have done for one of my other stories… though it took me a week of straight, unending writing, to finish it.

The only reason for the fast updates to this story was I wanted to be able to update this story on parallel to that on the other website, and now that they are equal on updates on time, I will resume updating how I normally do, which will be based on 5-7days now, unless I get a particularly large amount of chapters done.